In the summer of my Sophomore year of college, I was cast in the chorus of the musical Chicago at a local Austin theater. I was "Pop"...
It's a fun and raunchy musical, and, like in the movie, our costumes were rather fun and raunchy as well. I spent the entire show strutting around in a black bra top, a black g-string, black fishnet stockings and black character shoes with 2 1/2 inch heels. This costume is the reason that I, to this day, know how to swirl tassels - not easy. It's all about the timing. Don't ask.
During the production, I made friends with a couple who were in the show together, an actor named Mitch Pileggi, and his then-wife, Debbie. You sci-fi folks would know Mitch as Skinner on The X-Files and as Colonel Caldwell on Stargate: Atlantis. Mitch is a wonderful, terribly charming guy (and a major flirt) and the sexiest bald man I've ever known.
Anyway, Mitch and Debbie decided that they wanted to set me up on a date with a friend of theirs, a guy named Gary. At the time, I was only 19 (I'm guessing Mitch was in his late 20's) and I was very excited to be set up with this Gary guy, as he was a MUCH older man of...30. And he was a singer, who had actually CUT AN ALBUM. Very exciting.
So I agreed to meet this guy, and Mitch set it up that Gary would come and watch the show and then we'd all go out afterward.
On the night that Gary came to the show, I was very excited and nervous, but I, determined to impress this guy, was working it! I was singing, I was dancing, I was strutting around in my skimpy outfit.
All was going great until midway through the second act, when we got to the song Razzle Dazzle...
All of my fellow chorus girls and I were still wearing out bra/g-string outfits, but for this number, we added tall feathered headdresses and huge white feathered fans a la Busby Berkeley.
At some point during the song, we ran around backstage, climbed a flight of stairs, entered the courtroom set from above and proceeded to dance our way down a long, glittery stairway, smiling and step-kicking like the Rockettes.
Step, kick, step, kick, smile, wave the fan, step, kick, step, kick, Razzle Dazzle 'em...
Then, on the 5th from the bottom step...the heel of my character shoe caught on the decorative Mylar strip around the edge of the stairs and I...
Fell.
From the 5th step to...the ground.
On my face.
With my g-stringed heinie in the air.
The audience gasped.
My headdress slid sideways.
I ripped my fishnets.
The feather fan flew across the stage.
I took a deep breath and stood up, located my feather fan and...
DANCED.
I just kept on smiling and dancing and singing while I turned about 15 shades of scarlet, and blood ran down my leg.
After the show, I rushed to the dressing room and hid in mortification. Mitch had to literally drag me out of the dressing room to meet Gary, who was very kind, and I actually ended up going out with a couple of times.
And to make me feel better, Gary did share an excellent story with me, of HIS most embarrassing moment, which is worth sharing with you. He and Mitch had met doing a production of Jesus Christ Superstar - Gary had been Jesus and Mitch was Pontius Pilate. One night, during the crucifixion scene, after the Roman soldiers had nailed him to the cross, the entire cross fell over...into the audience. The apostles and the Roman soldiers and the Virgin Mary were all trying to drag Jesus out of the audience and put him back on the cross, but then they all started to giggle...an ugly scene. But it did make me feel better.
Since that time, I have had a phobia of high heels. And stairs. And Mylar. But not of fishnets.
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After you've managed to wipe the image of my humiliation out of your mind, please drop by all of our other BRAVE spinners who have shared their most embarrassing moments with us all. And boy, are there some doozies.
Peg at Square Peg in a Round Hole
SuziCate at The Water Witch's Daughter
Vandy J at The Testostrone Three and Me
Sarah at 32 Flavors - NEW on THURSDAY!!
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Next week on The Spin Cycle...
At the Movies
It's Oscar time once again! So I thought that in preparation for Hollywood's big night, we could all talk about the Silver Screen - motion pictures, the cinema, flicks. Do you love comedies? Dramas that make you cry like a baby? Are you a horror fan? Sci-fi? Do you have a favorite movie of all time, one you could watch over and over? Or a movie that you can't stand, but everybody else seems to love? Is there a movie that changed your life? Or maybe your kid has a movie that they watch obsessively but it drives you CRAZY?
Spin it up and link it up here! If you are new to the Spin Cycle, it's the EASIEST blog carnival thingy around! Check out the tab above for an explanation. And remember to add the super cute button to your HTML. (If you are unclear about how to do this, let me know, and I'll try to walk you through it.)
See you next week for The Spin Cycle, and the popcorn's on me (I need to get rid of all this left over Cub Scout popcorn somewhere!)!
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And I thought mine was bad. Guess that's why we all watch reality shows. So we can feel good that we aren't that embarrassing, stupid, dumb, you pick.
Posted by: VandyJ | 02/17/2012 at 05:38 AM
I'm so glad you came up with all your teeth and recovered so nicely. Ouch!
Yes, Mitch Pileggi does fall into the sexy, bald guy category.
Posted by: Erica@Pines Lake Redhead | 02/17/2012 at 07:19 AM
Oh, Gretchen! You are amazing, that you recovered and kept dancing. Wow!
Posted by: Patty | 02/17/2012 at 08:25 AM
Ouch! Well I'm glad you managed to finish the number. That's what they taught us in Dancing 101! I couldn't come up with a mortifying spin because I think I block those memories out!
Posted by: Kendra | 02/17/2012 at 09:09 AM
SKINNER!!
Posted by: Lisa | 02/17/2012 at 09:06 PM
Wow! Thank goodness you were OK! You are so gorgeous that Gary was probably relieved that you ended up being "down to earth".
Posted by: Michele R. | 02/18/2012 at 07:36 AM
Bless your heart! And I mean that in the "good" way! At least Gary was gracious about it.
Posted by: Peg | 02/18/2012 at 06:45 PM
My spin for this week will be up Sunday morning: http://pegbur7.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/quit-wheezing-my-juice/
Thanks Gretchen!
Posted by: Peg | 02/18/2012 at 07:21 PM
Oh no! But I do love the parellel that he fell as well. Kind of makes things even karmically. (Is that even a word?)
Posted by: Sprite's Keeper | 02/20/2012 at 09:25 AM
Okay, read this on my phone Saturday morning and have spent the ensuing time singing "Razzle Dazzle" and "Cell Block Tango." He had it coming...
Good lord, how you kept on dancing. I'm impressed. I shared your story with the family, and Nicky was gobsmacked. He said, "Gretchen is BRAVE." I couldn't have said it better myself.
I have to share, I love reading excerpts of your blog to Jason. He's been an acting/movie buff since before we met, and reading sentences like, "I made friends with a couple who were in the show together, an actor named Mitch Pileggi..." to him is SO MUCH FUN. His expressions are priceless. (BTW, Mitch is awesome, but I have to put him third in the sexy bald men category, behind Jason and Sir Patrick, my two long-time loves.)
Posted by: Aimee | 02/20/2012 at 06:28 PM